Howard Stern has recently embraced the term “woke,” stating, “I am woke, motherf***er, and I love it!”
The SiriusXM radio host's declaration comes as a retort to a fan who, in a YouTube clip, expressed disappointment over Stern’s so-called 'wokeness,' signifying a shift from his early career stints laden with contentious and often offensive skits, skirting the boundaries of sexism and racism.
“I hear a lot that I’m not good anymore because I’m woke,” said Stern, responding to criticisms and affirming his progressive stance in a conversation as reported by Mediaite.
Stern, an unapologetic critic of former President Donald Trump, perceives this transformation as a compliment and a progression from his previous stances. “I’ll tell you how I feel about it. To me, the opposite of woke is being asleep,” he voiced, emphasizing his ardent support for the Democratic Party.
Stern, historically known for his derogatory remarks, appears to have redefined his perspectives, supporting transgender rights, vaccine advocacy, and condemning Trump's ideologies.
“And if woke means I can’t get behind Trump, which is what I think it means, or that I support people who want to be transgender or I’m for the vaccine, dude, call me woke as you f***ing want,” Stern passionately articulated.
This “King of All Media” has vehemently denounced vaccine critics and, being a notorious germaphobe, isolated during the pandemic, even lauding science during his vaccine experience at CVS. “F***ing science. This f***ing country is so great,” he exclaimed, a far cry from his earlier contentious remarks.
Stern’s progressive stance extends to his support for legitimate news sources and his conviction in the legitimacy of President Biden’s election victory amid claims of fraudulent activities.
“I believe the election was not rigged,” Stern asserted. His evolution is evident in his support for transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney, opposing right-leaning celebrities boycotting the Anheuser-Busch brand.
This transformation, however, comes after years of engaging his audience with derogatory and highly offensive remarks.
Stern’s infamous comments on Precious star Gabourey Sidibe and his remarks in the 90s are illustrative of his previous demeanor that ran foul of the FCC, attracting fines for indecency.
This apparent metamorphosis resonates with a broader section of his audience who identify with his progressive standpoints, fostering conversations around acceptance and equitable perspectives in the evolving socio-political environment.